Iron Man: The Next Generation
by Komix Lane
Summary: Twenty years into the future, Tony Stark struggles to maintain the tenuous relationship with his eighteen-year-old daughter Harley, who fights society's high expectations of her. When a deadly doomsday robot called Arsenal begins attacking the civilian population for unknown reasons, Tony must come out of retirement and enlist the help of Harley in order to defeat it.
1. Prologue: Failsafe

**Author's Note: This is the prologue of a much larger work and I will continue to add onto it, granted enough people want more. Feel free to leave any thoughts or comments, preferably positive or constructive ones. I do not own Iron Man, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, or any respective characters of the Marvel Universe.**

Prologue: Failsafe

New York, 1942

A man sits alone at a secluded bar, tapping his fingers impatiently on a small stack of papers tucked neatly inside a manila folder. He checks his watch for the fifth time.

"If I had a nickel for every time he was punctual…"

"I'm afraid you'd be broke my friend," a new voice chuckled. "You had something you wanted to discuss with me, Mr. Stark?"

"Dr. Erskine, thank you for coming." Howard turns on the barstool and shakes the scientist's hand. He gestures to the barstool next to him, which Erskine occupies. "I heard you found a suitable candidate for your little science project?" Erskine nods and readjusts his glasses.

"Yes, he's quite impressive. I can't think of a better subject." He notices the folder under Howard's palm. "But that's not what you wanted to talk about, I presume?"

"Doctor, I have faith in your program…"

"But?"

"But I've read your reports on Schmidt." Howard stares intently at Erskine, who avoids his gaze. "We both know exactly what he's capable of. How can you assume that just one man will be enough to stop him?"

"You haven't seen this man in action yet. He won't fail." Erskine persists.

"What if he does? We can't put all of our cards on him." Howard passes the folder to Erskine. Erskine opens the folder to find numerous blueprints and dossiers. "I have a plan. A failsafe, if you will, should your super soldier miss the mark. I have the best scientists and engineers already constructing it and I'm designing its combat program myself. Once completed, it will remain dormant until we see fit to deploy it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to give you peace of mind that I know what I'm doing and that we have a backup plan," Howard states simply.

"But this…this is a device of massive size and scope! Will you even be able to finish it?" Erskine flips through the blueprints, marveling at the design.

"Trust me, it'll be ready to go should we ever need it." Howard says reassuringly, taking the blueprints and papers and tucking them back into the folder. He then gets up to leave. "I'll see you in a few days, doctor."

"Wait, Howard," Erskine says urgently, "what will this device do when active?"

Howard's eyes turn hard and his brows furrow. "It will ensure that the enemy doesn't see another tomorrow." He then exits the empty bar, leaving Erskine to wonder exactly what Howard was getting himself into.


	2. Chapter 1: True Potential

**Author's Note: Just wanted everyone to know, I made a couple changes to the first chapter that would better fit the story. Beta'd by cloudedstarshine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the respective characters of the Marvel Universe.**

Chapter 1: True Potential

New York, 2034

"Principal Irons will see you now, Miss Stark." The secretary stared at Harley blandly. She groaned, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and stepped into the principal's office. Principal Irons was scribbling something in an important-looking notebook. He gestured to the two red leather chairs sitting in front of his desk.

"Have a seat, Harley. I'll be with you in a minute." Principal Irons had a unique way of speaking that relaxed and made people feel like they weren't in trouble. Harley knew what to expect; she had been here enough times to know the drill. She slouched into one of the chairs and patiently waited for the principal to finish whatever exactly he was doing. Finally, he calmly closed his notebook, folded his hands over his desk, and viewed Harley with what appeared to be a disappointed gaze.

"I really hope these visits aren't going to become regular, Harley," Principal Irons said evenly. "I wanted to inform you that since this is the third time this week you've been sent to my office, I'll have to notify your parents." Harley stared absentmindedly at a spot on the wall behind Principal Iron's head and refused to make eye contact with him. "So what happened today?"

Harley's eyes slid to Principal Irons's. "I don't think it's necessary to tell _you_," Harley said tiredly. "I'm sure you're already aware of what exactly happened today."

"Harley, I've been nothing but cooperative and patient with you this week," Principal Irons said in a warning tone. "I therefore expect you to be the same way."

Harley turned her focus to a pen holder on the desk in front of her. She genuinely liked Principal Irons. He was devoted to his job as the principal of a private high school and was there to help the students for more than just the salary. She didn't care for inconveniencing him and decided to at least try to be amicable like he requested. "Mr. Ashby asked me to complete an equation on the board and I told him that my attention had been devoted to issues more important than the equation that represented fictional variables. Then he told me that because I have "such a distinguished pedigree," I should be able to complete the equation regardless. I then told him that because I was in a class with nothing but rich albeit intelligent assholes, it did not constitute that _I_ act as such." Harley sighed, realizing how arrogant she sounded. "And you know the rest."

Principal Irons stared at Harley, lips pursed in thought. "Alright, I think that we can both agree that your attitude towards Mr. Ashby was unacceptable. Now I have a question for you." Harley looked back up at Principal Irons. "Could you have completed that problem?"

Harley hesitated before answering, "Yes."

"Then why didn't you?"

Harley's eyes narrowed. "Because I would have been proving Mr. Ashby's point."

"That's a bad thing?"

"When you're the progeny of the great Tony Stark," Harley waved her hands dramatically, "then yes, it's a bad thing."

"Okay, I understand living in your father's shadow can be difficult—"

"Do you?" Harley asked. "Do you _really_?"

Principal Irons pursed his lips again. "Well, no. I guess not." Harley crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at the floor. Principal Irons sighed sadly. "Harley, I understand there's a lot of pressure on you given the position you're in. I just find it very upsetting that rather than work towards your own goals and actually apply yourself, you intentionally sabotage your future. You are one of the most promising students I have ever met, and you have so many opportunities that others don't. Why are you so willing to throw that all away?"

"You don't know." Harley's chin quivered slightly. "You have _no idea_ what it's like to have people expect so much of you the minute you're born." Harley raised her head, her eyes hard and cold. "My father named me his successor of Stark Industries, and just like _that_, any chance I had of pursuing any other path was out of the question. Ever since then, people have watched me. _Judged _me. Compared me to my father." Harley leaned forward in her seat, gripping her knees with her palms. Her voice was slowly rising as she grew more distraught. "I've been told by several people that I have large shoes to fill and I need to work hard if I _ever_ wanted to compare to the _almighty_ Tony Stark! Society has high expectations of me and because of those expectations, there's no way in _hell_ I'd _ever_ be able to anything _I_ wanted with my life! And does anyone care? No! They couldn't care _less_!"

Harley glared at Principal Irons, who was watching her intently, a look of concern forming on his face. Harley let out an exasperated sigh and slumped back into the chair. She crossed her arms in front of her again and shook her head despondently, desperately trying to hold back tears. "Just…fuck society."

Principal Irons leaned forward on his elbows and folded his hands in front of his mouth. He studied Harley's troubled expression. This was perhaps the first time he had seen Harley openly express herself. She was usually so quiet and isolated. To see her break down under the massive amount of pressure placed on her truly bothered him. After a few more moments of contemplation, he pulled out a slip of paper, wrote something on it, and handed it to Harley. Harley gingerly took the paper from Principal Irons and saw the word _Suspended_ on it, followed by the principal's signature. Harley's brows furrowed and she looked at Principal Irons.

"Harley, given recent events, I'm suspending you from school for the rest of the week. I'll be calling your parents immediately to inform them of the situation. I hope you use this time to think about what you truly want out of life." Harley nodded, still comprehending what just happened, and left Principal Irons's office. While walking to her car, Harley wondered what she really wanted to do with her life. She knew that wanted the freedom to break away from the life chosen for her, but what she would do instead of her predetermined course, she had no idea.


	3. Chapter 2: Dig Deep

**Author's Note: Happy Halloween, everyone! Thank you for your continued patience! Here, at last, is chapter two of the story! Feel free to leave any thoughts or comments, granted that they are polite and constructive.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of the respective Marvel Universe.**

Chapter 2: Dig Deep

"It's probably too early to go to work, huh?" Harley mumbled as she drove past the auto shop.

"According to your schedule, you have approximately three hours and forty-one minutes before you are required to clock in," a calm, synthesized voice said over the speakers.

"It was a rhetorical question, Jarvis, but thank you," Harley chuckled halfheartedly. Then her smile faded. "Are my parents home?"

"Not at the moment, but your mother is due to be home in approximately one hour and thirty-two minutes."

Harley sighed. "Just enough time…"

"Shall I initiate the Home Alone protocol, miss?" Jarvis asked.

"Please do, Jarvis," Harley smirked. "I'm going to hell anyway."

When Harley pulled into the driveway of her family's modern mansion fifteen minutes later, she could see the pizza guy's car already parked. The delivery guy, a stocky young man named Ethan, exited his vehicle as Harley stepped out of and locked her silvery-white 2008 Audi R8, which had been a birthday present from her father. Ethan smiled pleasantly and handed the warm pizza box to Harley.

"I assume this is going to be put on Mr. Stark's tab?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, but this—" Harley paused to pull out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill out of her backpack and then handed it to Ethan with a small smile. "This is for you. Buy your girlfriend something nice."

"Thanks, Harley," Ethan said gratefully.

"Don't mention it." Harley waved at Ethan before entering the house. Loud rock music soon filled Harley's ears, which was part of the specified playlist for the Home Alone protocol. The particular procedure was something that Harley had uploaded almost two years ago when she began taking kickboxing lessons and her parents' absences became more frequent. Once initiated, Jarvis would send Harley's favorite pizza parlor her order (a large meat lover's with black olives and extra cheese) and would play Harley's favorite music over the speakers while she ate and practiced her kickboxing in the downstairs gym.

After devouring two pieces of pizza and changing into her workout clothes, Harley began her warm-up: a series of stretches followed by a light jog and several crunches. She then casually strolled up to the large punching bag that hung from the corner of the room. She barely got two punches in before Jarvis's voice paged her over the music.

"Miss? Bruce Banner is on the line."

"Put him on speaker, Jarvis—" _thwack_ "—I'm a little busy."

"Very well, miss." Harley then delivered a powerful roundhouse kick with a loud grunt just as Bruce's voice came on over the speakers.

"Uh, hello…?" Bruce said nervously.

"Hey, Bruce—" _thwack thwack thunk_ "—how can I help you—" _THUNK_ "—on this fine day? Dad's not here, by the way." Harley grunted again as she hit the punching bag with a roundhouse punch.

"Harley?" Bruce sounded confused. "What are you doing home? You should be in school."

"Uh, I kind of got—" _THWACK_ "—suspended." Harley paused her practicing to take a drink of water.

"Wait, what?" Bruce quickly processed Harley's situation. "What did you do?"

Harley solemnly hit the punching bag a few more times, then ran her fingers through her cropped black hair. "I may have mouthed off to my physics teacher…and my principal…"

"Harley…" Bruce sighed in disappointment.

"Look, Bruce, I know you want to help, but please don't lecture me," Harley said, wiping the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her gauze-wrapped hand. "I already got one coming here soon."

"I wasn't going to." Bruce said calmly. "Are you and your dad still having issues?"

"Gee—" Harley angrily kicked the punching bag with so much force it left a red welt on her skin. "—what was your first clue?"

"Harley, calm down." Bruce said in a reprimanding tone.

"I'm sorry," Harley said, sitting down on a nearby bench. "It's just hard trying to get along with him when he's never _here_. It's like Stark Industries is really his home."

"Your attitude towards your father is understandable, okay? I get it," Bruce reasoned. "But what you need to realize is that he is trying his best to make time for you."

"Do you honestly believe that or is that just what he's been telling you?" Harley questioned bitterly.

"Tony's a great friend of mine. I can usually tell when he's bullshitting," Bruce said matter-of-factly. "I know he's serious when it comes to his family."

"What am I supposed to do then?" Harley said dejectedly. She knew that deep down, she wanted to connect with her father. She wanted him to be able to understand that running the family business was _his_ passion, not hers.

"Well, try to find something that you're both interested in and go from there," Bruce suggested. "Once you've established some common ground, it'll be much easier for you to rekindle your relationship with your dad."

"Um, okay…" Harley quickly wracked her brain trying to think of _something_ she had in common with her father. She knew (since she had been told on several different occasions by her mother) that she tended to display some of Tony's arrogance, but there was no way a father-daughter relationship could be built on _that_. Her train of thought was abruptly derailed when Jarvis paged Harley again over the speakers.

"Miss, your mother is due home in approximately fifteen minutes."

"Thanks, Jarvis," Harley said, a wave of dread rising in her chest.

"Well, I'm going to take that as my cue to hang up," Bruce said quickly. He knew Pepper Potts was a force to be reckoned with when angry. "I'll talk to you later, Harley. And try to think about what I said?"

"Yeah, sure. And Bruce?" Harley's voice grew soft, losing the bitter edge it had moments before. "Thanks for listening."

"Anytime." Harley could hear the smile in his voice. "Bye."

"Later."

Harley continued to sit in the gym, Bruce's words resonating in her mind. _He's trying his best to make time for you…he's serious when it comes to his family._ Harley's eyes were fixated on the floor as she tried desperately to believe every word. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway and the loud slam of a car door suddenly interrupted Harley's thoughts.

"Miss? Your mother is home." Jarvis announced just as the front door was unceremoniously slammed shut.

"Thanks, Jarvis." Harley shrunk away from the angry clacking of her mother's high heels, as if making herself smaller would somehow postpone the inevitable.

"Harley," Pepper called out, a hard edge to her voice. "Upstairs. _Now_."

"Here it comes…" Harley muttered before grabbing the leftover pizza, turning off the music, and walked slowly up the stairs. When she found her mother, arms crossed angrily in front of her and eyes fixed in a reproving glare, Harley offered her the pizza box with a feigned grin.

"Hungry?"

"You're already on thin ice as it is, young lady. Don't push it." Pepper pointed in the direction of a large room with a huge floor-to-ceiling window. "Go to the living room."

Moments later, Harley sat in the middle of the hulking beige couch while Pepper stood in front of her, arms still crossed and eyes still glaring.

"So would you like to tell me why you got suspended from school?" Pepper asked with barely restrained frustration.

"Didn't Principal Irons tell you?" Harley mumbled quietly.

"Harley, I'm sick of the attitude, I really am!" Pepper snapped. "I honestly _cannot_, for the _life_ of me, fathom why it's so hard for you to do what you're supposed to do! You do realize that your behavior reflects badly not only on us, but the company, too, don't you?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, mom," Harley replied curtly. "I wouldn't want to make the beloved family business look bad."

"Harley. Maria. Stark." Pepper's voice suddenly became low and menacing. "Whether you like it or not, you _are_ a member of this family _and_ the next face of Stark Industries. So start _acting like it_."

"Why should I?!" Harley demanded. "That's what _you_ and _dad_ want me to be! Nobody ever asked if that's what _I_ wanted! My opinion apparently doesn't mean _shit_ in this family!"

Harley glared at Pepper, challenging her. She waited for her mother to lose it. In fact, she _wanted _to see her mother explode with rage. Pepper was usually so composed and controlled. This was one of the few times Harley had made her visibly furious. But, once again, Pepper took a deep breath, placed her hands on her hips, and regained her composure.

"Harley," Pepper said evenly, "this is the last straw. I will _not_ tolerate any more of your immature, reckless, and irresponsible behavior. You are _seventeen_. You are almost an _adult_. It's about time you grow up and realize the world does not owe you." Harley stared back at Pepper, trying to grasp her mother's words. Then she felt the weight of them; the pressure, her mother's disappointment, her father's inattentiveness, and her own unhappiness. It crushed Harley's chest like a boulder. Suddenly, the tears came, and Harley couldn't stop them. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. She felt like her life was headed towards a dead-end and that everything she did to escape only made everyone else's lives more difficult. No matter what she said or did, Harley could never win.

Harley jumped when she felt her mother sit down beside her. She looked at Pepper and, even through tears, could see the tenderness in her mother's eyes. Pepper pulled her daughter close to her and rubbed Harley's back gently as her shoulders shook with her sobs.

"I'm sorry," Harley whimpered into Pepper's shoulder.

"It's okay, honey," Pepper said gently, holding Harley tightly. "I know it hasn't been easy for you. But do you understand why I'm upset?"

Harley nodded.

"Okay." When Harley calmed down, they both straightened up. Pepper looked at Harley, a softer expression on her face. "Now, can we reach an agreement that your behavior will improve?"

Harley nodded again, a resigned smile on her face.

"I'm still not happy that you got suspended," Pepper said, standing up, "so you'll be grounded for the time you're out of school. That means no electronics and no going out unless it's for work."

"Okay," Harley said quietly.

"Now go to your room," Pepper said. "I need to call your father." Harley nodded and obediently left the living room with a newfound respect for Pepper Potts.


	4. Chapter 3: Family Time

Chapter 3: Family Time

"Pepper?" Tony asked over the phone, cradling it between his shoulder and his ear. "What's going on? Did I forget another meeting? Just tell those idiots in marketing I'll send them the images for the presentation once I've finished talking to Rhodey about the stuntman…for the presentation." Tony flinched, ready for Pepper's scolding.

"Wait, the release presentation is _tonight_ and you're telling me we might not have a stuntman?"

"I'll have everything taken care of in the next couple hours. Rhodey told me this morning that our guy's as good as new. It'll be fine." Tony reassured, typing away frantically on his computer.

"It better be after all the work we put into this project," Pepper said tiredly. "But that's not the reason I called. It's about Harley."

Tony stopped his work. "What about her?"

"She got suspended from school today."

"What did she do?" Tony asked sternly, his full attention turned towards the conversation.

"Principal Irons told me that it was because Harley was starting to crack under pressure," Pepper said seriously. "And she really is, Tony."

"Wait, what pressure?" Tony asked blankly.

"The pressure of being _your_ daughter," Pepper said irritatingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Tony, she's tired of living in your shadow," Pepper said. "And everyone's high expectations are really upsetting her. She needs you, Tony."

Upon hearing this, Tony leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. He sighed and rubbed his temples with his free hand.

"Tony?"

"I know." Tony said glumly. "I know, and I want to be there for her. It's just been busier than hell here getting ready and—"

"Tony." Pepper interrupted. "She's not buying your excuses anymore. She's practically convinced that all you care about is Stark Industries."

"You know that's not true." Tony interjected.

"Well, _she_ doesn't know that," Pepper said. "She doesn't believe _me_ when I tell her otherwise. She needs to hear it from _you_, Tony."

There was another long pause before Tony continued, "Pepper, the presentation is almost finished. Once it's out of the way, I'll have more time, I promise. But right now, I have an idea."

"Tony, I think I know where you're going with this, and it's not—"

"Just hear me out," Tony interrupted, getting a bit more animated. "I think Harley should come with us to the presentation."

"What?! Tony, you know she _hates_ those kinds of things," Pepper grumbled as she recalled a fiasco where Harley had locked herself in the bathroom, refusing to attend a cocktail party funded by Stark Industries.

"Pepper, she's grounded, right?"

"Yes."

"Then making her go to the presentation will be like another punishment," Tony said matter-of-factly.

"Never thought a girl her age would view a fancy party like that…" Pepper mumbled.

"Just make sure she's ready to go by seven. I'll be picking you two up in the car." Tony was back at his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"But what is she going to wear? You and I both know Harley doesn't own anything _remotely_ formal."

"Don't worry about that. I just ordered something she'll love." Tony smirked at the picture of the ensemble he had requested.

"Tony…" Pepper said in a warning tone.

"It should be there in a couple hours. I _know_ she'll love it," Tony insisted.

Pepper sighed, "Okay, I'll go tell her. She's not going to be happy about it."

"She's not supposed to be. She's grounded, remember?"


End file.
